Torrie Wilson reveals Judgement Day 2003 bikini contest made her the most uncomfortable

WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson recently sat down with Ariel Helwani for a candid chat. One of the most popular stars during the company’s explosive early 2000s era, she opened up about her career, the challenges she faced as a woman in the industry, and how she’s built a life beyond wrestling.

Wilson first appeared in WCW in February 1999. She was initially brought in as part of a storyline angle, but soon became a regular on WCW programming. Speaking about how wrestling turned into a profession for her, she said:

"It was supposed to be just a couple of months gig. At the time, I was taking acting classes, doing auditions and commercials, and was just excited to have work. But it snowballed so fast. Probably within a month—by the time of my first pay-per-view—people were waiting at the airport when I got off the plane, even at the hotels. It all happened so quickly that they offered me a contract, and the rest is history."

However, the journey, particularly initially, was filled with challenges.

"Being a very shy girl growing up in Idaho, everything felt weird and scary. This world was definitely intimidating. Thankfully, I had three brothers, which prepared me a little for the backstage craziness. But it still felt like walking into a male locker room—I’d see Big Poppa Pump standing there, everyone looked like specimens, and it was very intimidating."

Wrestling legends Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash helped her navigate her early days in the WCW.

"Kevin (Nash) was really the one who spearheaded it, but Hulk had a part in it because it was a storyline with them. At the time, I had just moved to Los Angeles and gotten an agent, Peter Young, who also happened to be Hulk Hogan’s agent. That connection worked in my favor."

In 2001, the WCW was bought by the WWE (then known as WWF). Wilson opened up on how the transition transpired for her:

"When WWE bought out WCW and started taking meetings, Jim Ross met me. At the time, I was dating Billy Kidman, who also had a meeting with him, and Jim asked if I was interested in meeting too. I didn’t know anything about wrestling when I started in WCW, but it quickly became clear that WWF was the place to be. It seemed like the better show, and I knew getting hired there would be a big step up."

During her almost decade-long career in the WWE, Wilson was part of several storylines, but there were a few that she refused to be a part of. Speaking about how certain storylines felt like they went too far, Wilson said:

"Yeah, there were a couple of times—one in particular, the Judgment Day pay-per-view bikini contest against Sable. Originally, Vince wanted me to do the hand-paint on my b**bs like Sable had done before, but I didn’t feel comfortable with that. So I suggested rhinestones that barely covered my n*pples. Don’t ask me why—that felt safer than paint. Looking back, I’ve only been out in front of a crowd in a thong bikini a few times, and those moments really make me cringe. It just feels like a lot. And sometimes you’d see kids in the crowd and it felt wrong."

However, Wilson claimed she didn't have any regrets:

"I don’t really have regrets in life. Even the things I’d prefer not to remember, inside or outside of wrestling, were lessons. There are times I look back and think, gosh, it’s so cringe—the whole sex appeal stuff was a lot. At that age, I was trying to come to terms with being seen as a sex symbol, but I never felt like one. I always felt like the biggest dork in the room—my husband even used to tell me that. I felt like I was just being a poser. But on the flip side, it also brought out a part of me that became more confident in my sexuality. There were a lot of different dynamics at play."

Ultimately, in May 2008, Wilson decided to hang up her boots as she wasn't in peak physical condition:

"When I left wrestling, I had back surgery and was tired of being on the road. I knew I wasn’t going to come back at full capacity and didn’t want to hurt myself again, so I decided to retire. For a long time, I had mixed feelings about my time in wrestling. There was so much that felt embarrassing, or just made me feel yucky thinking about it. So I closed that door and had no real desire to do much with it. I did some signings here and there, but mostly I wanted to stay out of that world."

While she has made occasional appearances in the WWE since her retirement, she admitted that the product has changed a lot since then:

"I love going there now. I love all the women—it just feels more relaxing and welcoming. They’re all so sweet and great to be around. But the thought of trying to claw my way into a position on TV? No thank you. There are so many amazing, talented women, and I could never compete with that."

The conversation shifted to why there aren't enough valets in the WWE today. Torrie Wilson said she's not sure why, but singled out one wrestler who has huge potential:

"I love Chelsea Green. I love her character—she’s the epitome of someone who can kill it in the ring, as a valet, and in backstage skits. She makes the most of every second she gets on TV. She would be an incredible valet, and I think they could really add a whole new layer with that. I just don’t know why they don’t."

Speaking about whether she would fit into the schedule today, Wilson said:

"Do they not do house shows? It seems like they have a much better schedule. When I was learning to wrestle, I was having fun, and that played into my decision after back surgery. I didn’t want to return just to be a valet—I wanted to wrestle. But I knew how I felt, and I didn’t want to put my body through that again."

She mentioned how brutal the wrestling business can be on the body:

"When I was learning to wrestle, I was having fun, and that played into my decision after back surgery. I didn’t want to return just to be a valet—I wanted to wrestle. But I knew how I felt, and I didn’t want to put my body through that again. The pain leading up to surgery was so intense. Sometimes I’d be frozen for 30 minutes, just sitting on the couch crying because I was so locked up. The thought of going through more of that had no appeal. I was fine hanging it all up, and that call came after I had already been home for a while."

Helwani briefly touched upon some wrestlers Wilson shared storylines with, one of who was Maven Huffman, and she had nothing but words of praise for him:

"I always thought he was really nice. The thing about all those little on-screen hookups was that I was either married to Billy Kidman or he was my boyfriend or fiancé at the time, so that part always felt a little weird. But outside of that, I loved Maven—he was awesome. Super nice, down to earth, and not jaded by the wrestling business."

In recent times, Wilson has been quite active on the social media platform Passes. She elaborated on why she chose Passes:

"Passes has been really fun for me. It's a place where basically my fans want to follow me. It's where I kind of like unleash the beast. I'm a little more like open about being sexier. You know, like the interesting thing is social media. There are a lot of things that I could post, but then sometimes I don't because I'm like, "Oh, I don't want to be judged." Well, on passes, I can be sexier. There's a limit, there's boundaries there. It's nothing like onlyfans, you know. There's a lot of athletes on there and it's kind of a place where you can create content that your fans want to see. And evidently, my fans still like the sexy content that I love making. So, it's kind of a weird perfect marriage."

Regarding social media and going through tough times in general, Wilson said:

"I understand it can be scary to put yourself out there and speak your truth, but there are a lot of people who feel alone in what they’re going through. It’s so easy to go on social media and think everyone has their life together and perfect. It’s frustrating to see that— even for me. When I see perfection all the time, I can’t help but question where I am in life. That’s really the answer."

Helwani then heaped praise on Wilson for ageing gracefully, and asked if she sees herself as someone who wants to be an inspiration for others:

"I hope to be. I don’t necessarily view myself that way, but I know what I love seeing—women who embrace their age, inspire others, don’t slow down in the gym, and still embrace their sensual side. In this world, there’s a lot of ageism, and people expect you to start shrinking away. If that’s what you want to do, fine, but that’s not what I want. It’s important—for yourself and for the people watching you, especially if you’re on a platform—to be authentically you and not let the world push you into shrinking away."

Wilson was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Elaborating on the moment, she said:

"I definitely think it’s bigger than any belt they could have ever given me. Honestly, I never even considered the Hall of Fame—it wasn’t on my radar. But when they called, I realized how much it meant. It was their way of saying thank you for everything I did, all the time on the road, and what I put my body through. That thank you meant so much more to me than I ever imagined it would."

Before signing off, Wilson also revealed her proudest moment in the WWE:

"I’m proudest of how much better I got in the ring towards the end. I was finally starting to feel like I understood it more and was getting comfortable out there. I wasn’t completely nervous all the time, and I wasn’t a deer in headlights if I messed up. I was beginning to understand what it meant to go with the crowd. I still feel like I was miles away from reaching my full potential, but I’m most proud of the progress I made in the ring."

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